Please HELP MY DOG

This forum is for dog lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your dog.

I am a first time dog owner and I have had my pit (which is now one year old) since she was 8weeks old. Everything has been great since we got her and has been a great addition to my family!

Although...

Two days ago I noticed a patch on hair missing on her left shoulder slightly below her collar. The area also seems to now be an abrasion .. I noticed she had been scratching the area really bad which has resulted in hair loss in that area. The area has becomes inflamed and the skin is broken but not bleeding, almost like just a scrape under the skin
. This just arised over this Christmas Holiday, the day before Christmas Eve she seemed fine, we were gon and she was alone most of the day but when we or home we didn't notice any patches but in Christmas Day after arriving back home from being out all day again, we then noticed the patch and Remy scratching excessively.. I'm not sure wether this is a SERIOUS issue that needs medical attention or something that I can treat with proper care at home. Please advise.

Hi & welcome. Is there any way you can upload a pic for us? It *sounds almost like a hot-spot..which can be treated at home. But it could also be an allergic reaction, or a small wound that is now infected.

Pitties are prone to skin issues.. addie had a lot when she was a puppy. Sounds like it could be demodex ( a type of mange) as it sounds a lot like what Addie had as a pup. Only way to know for sure is a skin scraping by your vet as mentioned earlier. Not URGENT but I would get it checked out and treated as soon as you can, as it can spread.. not to you or other dogs, but over your dogs body.. left untreated it can cause problems and get worse / harder to treat.

It could also be a flea allergy too, be sure to check her skin well and treat for fleas if you see them.

It sounds a bit like mange to me, too - Brandy had this earlier in the year, sorted quickly with medication. Does she run free? If it is sarcoptic mange (which we get from foxes over here, not sure in the USA) they can pick up the mites from long grass through which foxes have passed, so you would also need prophylactic treatment. We use something called Advocate, which I apply once a month, and it deals with all parasites, both internal and external. Usually, mange appears first on the belly and the insides of the legs. In its early stages it takes the form of a pale, round, slightly scabby-looking patch. Good luck!

Looks to me like she scratched an itch... maybe a flea bite or a spider bite? I would put some cortisone cream on it to stop it itching and wait it out a bit. Mange normally starts on the ears/head and not in just one place.

I don't think it looks like Demodex. The Jack Russell I had when I was a teenager had Demodex and it caused hair loss on her face. Still, if you can I would have the vet take a look at it since it sounds like it's really irritating Remy. Hot Spots are normally very red and inflamed looking.